Interviewers

Significant Points

A high school diploma or its equivalent is the most common
educational requirement.

The number of interviewers, except eligibility and loan, is
projected to grow faster than average; however, the number of
loan interviewers and clerks, and eligibility interviewers for
government programs, is projected to decline.

Nature of the Work

Interviewers obtain information from individuals and business
representatives who are opening bank accounts, trying to obtain
loans, seeking admission to medical facilities, participating
in consumer surveys, applying to receive aid from government programs,
or providing data for various other purposes. By mail, by telephone,
or in person, these workers solicit and verify information, create
files, and perform a number of other related tasks.

The specific duties and job titles of interviewers, except
eligibility and loan, depend upon the type of employer. In
doctors’ offices and other health care facilities, for example,
interviewing clerks also are known as admitting interviewers
or patient representatives. These workers obtain all preliminary
information required for a patient’s record or for his or her
admission to a hospital, such as the patient’s name, address,
age, medical history, present medications, previous hospitalizations,
religion, persons to notify in case of emergency, attending physician,
and party responsible for payment. In some cases, interviewing
clerks may be required to verify that an individual is eligible
for health benefits or to work out financing options for those
who might need them.

Other duties of interviewers in health care include assigning
patients to rooms and summoning escorts to take patients to their
rooms; sometimes, interviewers may escort patients themselves.
Using the facility’s computer system, interviewers schedule laboratory
work, x rays, and surgeries; prepare admission and discharge records;
and route these medical records to appropriate departments. They
also may bill patients, receive payments, and answer the telephone.
In an outpatient or office setting, interviewers schedule appointments,
keep track of cancellations, and provide general information about
care. In addition, the role of the admissions staff, particularly
in hospitals, is expanding to include a wide range of patient
services, from assisting patients with financial and medical questions
to helping family members find hotel rooms.

Interviewing clerks who conduct market research surveys and polls
for research firms have somewhat different responsibilities. These
interviewers ask a series of prepared questions, record the responses,
and forward the results to management. They may ask individuals
questions about their occupation and earnings, political preferences,
buying habits, satisfaction with certain goods or services sold
to them, or other aspects of their lives. Although most interviews
are conducted over the telephone, some are conducted in focus
groups or by randomly polling people in a public place. More recently,
the Internet is being used to elicit people’s opinions. Almost
all interviewers use computers or similar devices to enter the
responses to questions.

Eligibility interviewers, government programs,determine
the eligibility of individuals applying to receive government
assistance, such as welfare, unemployment benefits, Social Security
benefits, and public housing. These interviewers gather the relevant
personal and financial information on an applicant and, on the
basis of the rules and regulations of the particular government
program, grant, modify, deny, or terminate an individual’s eligibility
for the program in question. They also help to detect fraud committed
by persons who try to obtain benefits that they are not eligible
to receive.

Loan interviewers and clerks review individuals’ credit
history and obtain the information needed to determine the creditworthiness
of applicants for loans and credit cards. These workers spend
much of their day on the telephone, obtaining information from
credit bureaus, employers, banks, credit institutions, and other
sources to determine an applicant’s credit history and ability
to pay back a loan or charge.

Loan clerks, also called loan processing clerks,
loan closers, or loan serviceclerks, assemble
documents pertaining to a loan, process the paperwork associated
with the loan, and ensure that all information is complete and
verified. Mortgage loans are the primary type of loan handled
by loan clerks, who also may have to order appraisals of the property,
set up escrow accounts, and secure any additional information
required to transfer the property.

The specific duties of loan clerks vary by specialty. Loan closers,
for example, complete the loan process by gathering the proper
documents for signature at the closing, including deeds of trust,
property insurance papers, and title commitments. They set the
time and place for the closing, make sure that all parties are
present, and ensure that all conditions for settlement have been
met. After the settlement, the loan closer records all of the
documents involved and submits the final package to the owner
of the loan. Loan service clerks maintain the payment records
on a loan once it is issued. These clerical workers process the
paperwork for payment of fees to insurance companies and tax authorities,
and also may record changes in clients’ addresses and ownership
of a loan. When necessary, they answer calls from customers with
routine inquiries as well.

Loan interviewers have duties that are similar to those
of loan clerks. They interview potential borrowers; help them
fill out applications for loans; investigate the applicant’s background
and references; verify the information on the application; and
forward any findings, reports, or documents to the company’s appraisal
department. Finally, interviewers inform the applicant as to whether
the loan has been accepted or denied.

Working Conditions

Working conditions vary for different types of interviewers,
but most of these workers work in areas that are clean, well lit,
and relatively quiet. Most of these workers work a standard 35
to 40 hour week, but evening and weekend work may be required
in some establishments. Some interviewers may conduct surveys
on the street or in shopping malls, or they may even go door to
door.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Most employers prefer applicants with a high school diploma or
its equivalent or a mix of education and related experience. Because
interviewers deal with the public, they must have a pleasant personality,
clear speaking voice, and professional appearance. Familiarity
with computers and strong interpersonal skills are very important.
Fluency in a foreign language also can be beneficial.

New employees are generally trained on the job, working under
the close supervision of more experienced employees, although
some firms offer formal training. Some loan interviewers also
take courses in credit offered by banking and credit associations,
public and private vocational schools, and colleges and universities.

Experienced interviewers may advance to positions with added
responsibilities or supervisory duties. Many organizations elect
to fill open positions by promoting qualified individuals from
within the company. Interviewers who obtain additional skills
or training will have the best opportunities. For certain managerial
positions, a college degree may be required.

Employment

Interviewers held about 515,000 jobs in 2004. Approximately 199,000
were interviewers, except eligibility and loan; 218,000 were loan
interviewers and clerks; and 98,000 were eligibility interviewers,
government programs. About 2 out of every 5 interviewers, except
eligibility and loan, worked in health care and social assistance
industries, while most loan interviewers and clerks worked in
financial institutions. Almost all eligibility interviewers, government
programs, worked in State and local government. Around 1 out of
every 4 interviewers, except eligibility and loan, worked part
time.

Job Outlook

Employment of interviewers is expected to grow more slowly than
the average for all occupations through 2014. However, the projected
change in employment varies by specialty. Most job openings should
arise from the need to replace the numerous interviewers who leave
the occupation or the labor force each year. Prospects for filling
these openings will be best for applicants with a broad range
of job skills, such as good customer service, math, and telephone
skills. In addition to openings for full-time jobs, opportunities
also should be available for part-time and temporary jobs.

The number of interviewers, except eligibility and loan, is projected
to grow faster than average, reflecting growth in the health care
and social assistance sector. This sector will hire more admissions
interviewers as health care facilities consolidate staff and expand
the role of the admissions staff and as an aging and growing population
requires more visits to health care practitioners. In addition,
an increasing use of market research will create more jobs requiring
interviewers to collect data. In the future, though, more market
research is expected to be conducted over the Internet, thus reducing
the need for telephone interviewers to make individual calls.

The number of loan interviewers and clerks is projected to decline
due to advances in technology that are making these workers more
productive. Despite a projected increase in the number of applications
for loans, automation will increase productivity so that fewer
workers will be required to process, check, and authorize applications
than in the past. The effects of automation on employment will
be moderated, however, by the many interpersonal aspects of the
job. Mortgage loans, for example, require loan processors to personally
verify financial data on the application, and loan closers are
needed to assemble documents and prepare them for settlement.
Employment, however, also will be adversely affected by changes
in the financial services industry. For example, significant consolidation
has occurred among mortgage loan servicing companies. As a result,
fewer mortgage banking companies are involved in servicing loans,
making the function more efficient and reducing the need for loan
service clerks.

The job outlook for loan interviewers and clerks is sensitive
to overall economic activity. A downturn in the economy or a rise
in interest rates usually leads to a decline in the demand for
loans, particularly mortgage loans, and can result in layoffs.
Even in slow economic times, however, job openings will arise
from the need to replace workers who leave the occupation for
various reasons.

Like that of loan interviewers and clerks, employment of eligibility
interviewers for government programs also is projected to decline
due to advances in technology and the transformation of government
aid programs over the last decade. Automation should have a significant
effect on these workers because, as with credit and loan ratings,
eligibility for government aid programs can be determined instantaneously
by entering information into a computer. The job outlook for eligibility
interviewers, however, also is sensitive to overall economic activity;
a severe slowdown in the economy will cause more people to apply
for government aid programs, increasing demand for eligibility
interviewers.

Earnings

Median hourly earnings of eligibility interviewers, government
programs, in May 2004 were $15.92. The middle 50 percent earned
between $13.04 and $19.32. The lowest 10 percent earned less than
$11.19, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $21.83. Median
hourly earnings of eligibility interviewers, government programs,
was $15.67 in State government and $16.43 in local government
in May 2004.

Median hourly earnings of loan interviewers and clerks in May
2004 were $13.94. The middle 50 percent earned between $11.45and
$17.26. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.48, and the
highest 10 percent earned more than $21.20. Median hourly earnings
of loan interviewers and clerks in depository credit intermediation
was $13.13 in May 2004, while median hourly earnings in nondepository
credit intermediation was $14.48.

Median hourly earnings of interviewers, except eligibility and
loan, in May 2004 were $11.38. The middle 50 percent earned between
$9.19 and $13.93. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $7.57,
and the highest 10 percent earned more than $16.98. Median hourly
earnings in the industries employing the largest number of interviewers,
except eligibility and loan, in May 2004 were as follows:

State government

$16.78

Colleges, universities, and professional
schools

13.55

General medical and surgical hospitals

11.94

Scientific research and development services

10.71

Other professional, scientific, and technical
Services

8.89

Related Occupations

Interviewers obtain information from individuals. Other workers
who perform similar duties include procurement clerks, customer
service representatives, and bill and account collectors.

Sources of Additional Information

State employment service offices can provide information about
employment opportunities for interviewers.

For specific information on a career as a loan processor or loan
closer, contact: